3.3.7 Optical Isomerism Flashcards
1
Q
What is optical isomerism?
A
A type of steroisomerism that arises due to the presence of a chiral carbon
2
Q
What is a chiral carbon?
A
A carbon atom attached to four different groups
3
Q
What are enantiomers? (2)
A
Molecules that are mirror images of each other, making them non-superimposable
Optically active
4
Q
How can optical isomers be identified? (2)
A
When plane polarised light is passed through an optically active mixture, the light rotates either clockwise or anti-clockwise
The two enantiomers rotate the light in opposite directions
5
Q
What is a racemate? (2)
A
A mixture containing equal quantities of each enantiomer
They are optically inactive as the two enantiomers cancel out each other’s effects on plane polarised light
